1. Field of the Invention
This invention is in the general field of electrically operated vehicles and more particularly in the field of an electrically operated amusement vehicle receiving its electrical energy from the floor upon which it runs.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In all of the prior art relating to bumper cars, and other amusement type cars in which the vehicle runs upon a metal track or surface from which it receives all or a portion of its electricity for operation, direct current has been required. There is a great deal of such art and vehicles receiving their electrical energy from the surface upon which they travel are not unique; for example, patent application Ser. No. 468,430, filed May 9, 1974, in which I am co-inventor, utilizes such a system. The uniqueness of the present invention lies in utilizing alternating current on the track and thus eliminating costly rectifiers and the like to bring the current to the running surface. In accomplishing this change from a direct current in the track to an alternating current, I have been able, also, to invent a method in which speed control may be accomplished electronically in a manner not previously thought possible with direct current operating motors. Further, I am able to utilize multi-phase current to advantage.